Improvement in plaiting devices



UNITED STATES PATENT lOFIFIGE .A

WILLIAM VALKER, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK, ASSIGN OR TO .GEORGE H. WOOSTER,OF NEW YORK CITY.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLAITING DEVICES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 108,854, dated November1, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WALKER, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPlaiting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawing, formingpart of this speciiication, and in which- Figure l represents a plan ofa sewing-machine, in part, with my improved plaiting devicce ormechanism applied thereto; Fig. 2, a side view of the same, and Fig. 3 afront view thereof. Fig. 4 is a view of an unraveled piece of trimmingmade by the machine, in illustration of the folds made to produce it.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention relates to a plaiting device or mechanism, mainly designedto be used in counection with a sewing-machine for making plaitedpointed trimming, which is formed of tape, ribbon, or other suitablematerial, in folds arranged to present a succession of t points.

The device, as. here represented, includes two plaiting knives orblades, and a duplication of accompanying parts, for the purpose ofproducing a double-pointed plaited trimmin g 5 but a single knife ordifferent arrangement of knives, similarly operating, may be used formaking a dierent form of trimming to that here shown.

A peculiar feature ofthe invention consists in a plaitin g knife orblade, to which is given a compound movement, or series ofmovements-namely, a rocking action to and from the face 'of thematerial, a circular motion over or against it, and a straightforwardmovement to conform to the feed of the material as it is folded orplaited.

The invention also embraces a combination of knives, operating asdescribed and in reciprocal relation to each other, to produce adouble-pointed plaited trimming,.which may have its character more orless changed by varying the stroke ofthe knives. The invention likewiseincludes certain combinations of details by'which the several motions,hereinbefore specified, are communicated to the plaiting knife crknives.

'clined front edges, b b.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the bed-plate ot' asewing-machine, and B its presser-foot, provided with a needleaperture,a, and formed with reversely i11- C is a wire guard, under which thestrip to be plaited is 'passed in introducing it onto the table. D D'are plaiting knives or blades, arranged to have a curvilinearreciprocating action intermitten tl y and alternately in relation toeach other over the bed A, in front of the presser-foot B, on i eitherside of the line of feed. These knives, in sweeping alternately over thebed A, have, first, or as they make their folding movement, a gradualdownward pressure or actionand advance motion toward their respectivepresser-foot face or edge b or b', whereby each knife,

in its travel on or over the tape or material E, as the latter is helddown by the presser-foot, forms an oblique crease, c or c', in the tape,some little distance in advance of the presser'- foot, and, as the knifecompletes its stroke toward said foot, the latter is raised b v theaction of the feed, and the knife, moving in concert with the generalfeed, tucks such creased portion under the toe of the presserfoot edge bor b', thereby forming, in connection with the presser-foot, an upper orouter crease or fold, d or df, which lies inline with the edge of thetape, either knife, inthus operatin g on the material, sliding the freeor front and uncreased portion of the latter diagonally or to one sideover the bed A, and along or under the guard C, toward the oppositeknife, in the back position of the latter. This swing or play of thetape over the front portion of the y bed takes place in reversedirections-that is, first to the one side and then to the otherby theadvance or folding movement of each knife in succession, said knivesforming, by their intermittent and alternate action on the tape, as thusadjusted to opposite'sides, each successive crease c or c/ in reversediagonal directions to each other, and producing the folds d or d tocorrespond, thereby causing a plaited trimming with double points,substantially as represented in Fig. 1, to be produced.

Toward the completion of the curvilinear play of either knife l) or D',on or in connection with its upright spindle e or c', in the forward orfolding stroke of the knife, v a

straightforward feed of the material is produced by the knives, inconcert with the general feed of the machinethat is, either knife insuccession thus operating, which completes the tucking of the creasedportion and forming of the fold d or d', and passage of such foldedportion under the presser-foot B. To accomplish this, the knives havegiven them, at the conclusion of their forward curvilinear stroke, astraight line of motion, to conform with the feed, toward or under thepresserfoot, or. edges b b' thereof. After either knife D or D' hascompleted its forward stroke it rises from the material and recedes,first, in the straight line or course given it toward the completion ofits plaiting movement, and subsequentlyin a curvilinear direction through the turning of its spindle c or e'.

The general feed of the material or trimming, as made, may be effectedby any suitable feeding mechanism, operating in connection with thepresser-foot, which is made to yield, or rise and fall at intervals, bythe action of the feed, as required.

The folds or plaits as made in the trimming by the tucking of thecreased portions alternately from opposite sides, and in reversedirections under each other in succession, are secured by a continuousline of stitches,f, ruiming across all the plaits and uniting themfirmly together. This trimming I make the subject of a separateapplication for Letters Patent, and the trimming itself, or sewing of itas made, forms no part of this invention, as the securing of its plaitsby sewing may be effected after the trimming leaves the machine, whichmay be confined to formingand laying down the plaits.

The mechanism for giving to the plaitingknives their severalhereinbefbre-specied movements may be variously constructed andarranged, but the following means will be found to effect the desiredresults in a very advantageous manner.

F is a revolving shaft, arranged crosswise of the bed-plateA and beneathit. This shaft, in connection with springs, as hereinafter described,serves to communicate to the knives their several movements.

The plaiting-knix-*es D D', which occupy a cranked or eccentric positionrelatively to their axes, have their intermittent and alternatecurvilinear motions given to them by means of sliding racks Gr G',acting on pinions H H', fast on the spindles e of the knives. Thesespindles are carried by arms I I', fast on rocking andlongitudinally-slidin g side shafts J J', while the racks Gr G' arecarried by independent frames K K', which are made capable of slidingalong the shafts J J and of' rocking with them and the arms I l'.

On the rocking and sliding shafts J J' are fast arms L L', each of whichhas a toe-piece, g, and wing h, against which cams M M' and N N',secured to the shaft F, respectively operate. Said shaft F also carriesrevolving toes or cams O Q', that operate under or against the slopinglower ends of legs t' d', arranged to project from the sliding frames KK'. y

The cams M M', N N', and O O' are so pitched or set on the shaft F as toact alternately on the sliding frames K K' and shafts J J', for thepurpose of securing to the knives D D' their alternate actions.

The downward pressure or action of the knives during their forwardcurvilinear or folding stroke is secured by springs I) P' when thereduced portions of the cams M M' come over the toe-pieces g of the armsL L', said `springs then serving to press upon said arms,

so as to tilt or rock the shafts J J' in a direction that will cause thearms I I' to depress the knives. While this motion is taking place thecams O O' act upon the inclined bottoms of the legs M of the slidingframes K K', which moves the racks G G' to secure to the knives theirforward curvilinear movement. Toward the completion of this latteraction, or, rather, as said action is completed, the cams N N' act uponthe wings l1l of the arms L L. to slide the shafts J J', for the purposeof giving to the knives, through the arms I l', fast on said shafts,their straightforward or feeding motion, as hereir'ibefore referred to.This done, springs Q, Q' serve to throw the shafts J J' back again, thecams M M' come round to act upon the arms L L', so that the knives arelifted and springs S S' act upon the sliding frames K K', to work,through the racks G G' and pinions H H', the knives D D' back to theiroriginal positions. It should be understood, however, that these severalactions as produced by the cams and springs take place alternately onopposite sides of the machine, so that the one knife first advances andretires, and then the other.

`What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A plaiting knife or blade having a compound movement or series of'movements, which consist of a rocking or rising-and-falling motion, acurvilinear sweep or action, and a straightforward movement in the lineof' feed, essentially as described.

2. The combination, for the production of a double-pointed plaitedtrimming, of' the two knives D D', constructed and operating, inrelation to each other, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the rocking and sliding frame K or K' with theshaft J or J', the arm I or I', the rack Gr or G', and the pinion H orH' on the spindle e or c' of the knife D or D', essentially asdescribed.

4. The combination of the cams M, N, and O, or M', N', and O', and thesprings P, Q, and S, or P', Q', and S', with the sliding and rockingframe K or K' and the rocking and sliding shaftJ or J', substantially asspecified.

WM. WALKER.

Witnesses:

FRED. HAYNEs, R. E. RABEAU.

